Mini Cooper big on fun

We've written about the Mini Clubman that has those funny little half-doors which are about as practical to use as trying to eat a bowl of tomato soup with a set of chopsticks.

Then we did a review of the Mini Countryman that has a set of doors that one will normally associate with the back of a hearse.

This time round, I can leave the snide jibes about Mini's doors aside, for what we recently had on test, is a Mini that harks back to its roots of the late 1950s and has gone on to become an icon in the motoring world - the Mini Cooper. The fact that it had an S attached to its badge ... well that was just a bonus.

Whereas so many cars that roll off production lines around the world today have a similar look to them, the Mini has maintained that individuality 50-odd years down the road.

Think about it. What separates many brands today is not some individualistic brilliance in the design stakes but more to the fact that it carries a slightly different logo on its front grill. Apart from that they are a much-of-a-muchness.

The Mini - and in particular the Cooper - stands out like a beacon of hope in a sea of nothingness.

Of course it's that distinctive shape that first grabs your attention. Those acute lines may not be as blunt as they once were, and with time they have mellowed. Yet make just as strong a statement as the first time a Mini rolled off the production line in Birmingham, England.

Our test car certainly did stand out from the mundane.

White racing stripes, white side mirrors and an all-white roof - except for where the sunroof fits - sat perfectly on the burnt orange colour it came in.

But from a visual point of view, what stole the show for me was the white mags that complemented the 17-inch tyres much like a good chardonnay goes hand-in-hand with a slice of camembert cheese.

Exterior tell-tale signs that this was a performance Cooper are the discreetly positioned "S" logos, two smoking-gun exhausts sitting side-by-side and chuckling away like a couple of naughty schoolboys while the opening in the engine bonnet makes sure an ample supply of air is fed to the 1.6-litre turbocharged power unit.

If there is one area of concern I had about the Mini, it would have to be getting in and out of the vehicle for someone who is tall.

It's not quite a gymnastics manoeuvre but I must admit I performed it with about as much grace as a fish out of water.

Once inside though, and strapped in to those lovely leather seats, there is ample room up front. There is no feeling at all that you are cramped for space and headroom/legroom is ample.

Now, there's something about the Mini Cooper that will turn even those with just the slightest of interest in cars into wanna-be racing drivers.

Once you start up the engine, with the push of a button, and select "D" on your automatic six-speed gearbox, you are ready for action.

You don't so much cruise your way through twists-and-turns as bulldoze your way ... and in a hurry.

Whether you have traction-control on or off, the car hugs the ground beautifully and that four-cylinder turbo-powered engine sings like the sweetest canary.

Why push the vehicle? Simply because you can and it feels so right. It's that sort of car. It's made for driving, or more importantly it's made for fun.

A review of the Mini Cooper wouldn't be complete without mention of that ridiculously large pizza-sized speedometer on the front console.

Sure it incorporates other information like your fuel gauge, navigation system and your radio/CD set-up, but in all honesty it's so big you could probably fit a jacuzzi into it.

At the other end of the spectrum is the boot.

While I had the vehicle on test, someone remarked: "Oh, but the boot is awfully small."

Of course it is. Maybe it is only the size of a handbag, but at the end of the day, who cares? It's a Mini after all. If you want space, practicality and mind-numbing boredom there are a million cars out there for you to choose from.

Thankfully the Mini Cooper S isn't one of them ... and thank God for that!